A photo of DePrimo helping 54-year-old Jeffrey Hillman put on a pair of $100 Skechers North boots he had purchased for him went viral after it was posted on the NYPD's Facebook page.

"Those shoes are hidden," Hillman, an Army vet, told the Times. "They are worth a lot of money. I could lose my life."

Hillman said he appreciated what DePrimo did for him and "wish[es] there were more people like him in the world," but was also somewhat peeved at his fortuneless fame.

"I was put on YouTube, I was put on everything without permission. What do I get?" Hillman is quoted as saying. "This went around the world, and I want a piece of the pie."

Originally from South Plainfield, New Jersey, Hillman has two children, both in their 20s, but hasn't spoken to them much in the past few years. According to his sister-in-law, Hillman phones his family once a year "to let us know he's OK."